The Tribe Undertakes a SWOT Analysis

Last week, the Fire Enterprises, Inc. (FEI) tribe defined and examined each stage of the Product Life Cycle. This week, the group undertakes a SWOT analysis in order to determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the business today. Remember, fire = print.

Standing in front of Numo, Zoot and Org in the conference room, Lucy drew a box on the whiteboard and split it into four quadrants: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. “A strategic SWOT analysis should be used to guide any business initiative we undertake, such as new product development and creation,” Lucy explained.

“Swat what?” Zoot quipped.

“Very funny,” Lucy said sarcastically. “Let’s fill out each quadrant. Remember that company innovation and competition should also be figured into SWOT calculations.”

“Opportunity: Line extension,” Org began.

“Weakness: Our prices are perceived as too high,” contirbuted Numo.

“Threat: FlintStone continues to innovate,” Zoot observed.

“Opportunity: Matches,” Org added.

“Strength: Experience,” Numo said

“Weakness: Experience,” Org fired back.

“Right!” said Lucy. “I like that. Our industry experience and legacy gives us credibility, yet could make us appear like an old dog in today’s market. It’s important to recognize that the FEI legacy works for and against us.”

The tribe threw out dozens of suggestions, finally arriving at a chart that looked like this:

STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

Historical importance

Higher prices

Most experience in industry

Over reliance on original fire service

Extensive network of runners

Low barrier to entry in core business

Marketing/promotional expertise

Reluctance to cannibalize core service

Good customer feedback

Overconfidence in rank and file

Easy to attract talent

Difficulty attracting younger customers

OPPORTUNITIES

THREATS

Matches

Flintstone improve technology

B2B

Pyro recruiting fastest runners

Line extension

Government regulation/potential utility

Fireputers/online purchases

Proposed taxes for fire services

Markets beyond Olympus

Core service becoming a commodity?

Distribution partnerships

Increasing do-it-yourself mentality

“A good SWOT analysis identifies the internal and external factors that are favorable and unfavorable to achieve the objective—in our case, creating and developing new products,” Lucy said. “SWOT analysis should also differentiate between where our company is today, and where it could be in the future. Since our SWOT analysis accomplishes both of these objectives, I’d say this has been a success, wouldn’t you, tribe?”

EFTJ TedescoAuthor's page
T.J. is team leader of Grow Sales, Inc., a marketing and social media services company operating at the intersection of compelling content, clear vision and quality communication practices. In this blog, fire is a metaphor for print. Hang on, this ride will be weird...Prometheus crept into Mt. Olympus, stole fire, returned to the lowlands, ran from house to house distributing it, got caught, was chained to a rock, lost his liver to a huge ugly bird and was rescued by Hercules. Leveraging his fame, Prometheus started Fire Enterprises Inc. (FEI). Since fire was the hottest technology of the time, company success came fast and furious. Two generations later, fire isn't such an easy sale. Now led by Prometheus' grandson Org, FEI's growth is non-existent, competitors are pounding and prices are in the toilet.